Easier
by eclecticmimicry
Summary: The Glee Project: He left, he won. They're moving in together. But they both like each other - and that's just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. As if you didn't already know that this is Dameron.
1. Awkward

**Okay, so I know that writing fanfiction about real people drives some others up the wall, and I'll totally understand if some of you unfollow me for this, but I do ship Dameron quite hard.  
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**Believe me when I say I own nothing, just this little story. This'll be the first multi-chapter story I've done in a while so please bear with me.**

**As far as rating goes… Let's start with PG-13. This is all still new to me, because I've had this creative block for a long, long time. The jump is there so that those of you who may see this are warned that you will not find anything but unadulterated angst and underlying fluff in this first chapter of a Dameron fanfic. Yes, this is RPF, and thus, I truly, truly own nothing but the story.  
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**For those of you who might be wondering who I am, I used to go by ShadowZero7, but I sort of outgrew that name.  
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><p>'<em>Does it ever get any easier?' <em>

Damian McGinty thinks, smiling a little as he follows his best friend up the stairs to their new apartment, another bunch of boxes burdening him. By that, he was surely referring to the fact that moving here from Derry had been harder than he first thought. His parents weren't used to their son being so far away - then there had been his friends to deal with, plus packing up box after box of his belongings. Cameron had been there, of course, helping him pack - easing his parents' worries that the Irish teen wouldn't eat right or sleep well.

After winning on The Glee Project, Damian didn't have that much time before they'd need him on set, and in those few weeks, he was also turning a year older. It had been a natural move to set up in LA, a move foreseen by his family. So the first part of the plan was going home to Derry (accompanied by Cameron), packing up, and setting up in LA. Which they would've been done with days ago if Cameron hadn't been so awestruck by his visit to Ireland, and it was with very little (close to none, actually) resistance that Damian put his move on hold to take Cameron on a tour of the place he called home.

Home… Where was home now? He won. This meant a career and it meant being away from his parents and friends. But it also meant being with Cameron. He didn't know where it had all come from but there was something that was telling him - a nagging in his gut that said that he just didn't see the taller boy as his best friend anymore. He doesn't know exactly when it started, and he finds himself snapped out of his moment of reflection by that voice:

"Damo! Get a move on, we're losing daylight and you know the others will want to meet for dinner later!"

Cameron calls him from upstairs, because he's stopped on the staircase again, remembering the blonde's smile as he took the sights of Derry in with childlike glee. He's always loved the way the sun hits the taller boy's head as it makes his hair look like it's on fire or something. He shakes his head and continues up the staircase and into the open door of their apartment - nothing two fancy, two bedrooms, a kitchen… The usual thing you'd find. He drops the boxes in his room and calls for Cameron, who was nowhere to be found.

"Cam?" Damian yells, his voice ringing in the emptiness. "Where are you? I've got th' last of the boxes up, whad'ya say to a li'l lunch?"

When Damian gets no reply, he goes into Cameron's room - right across from his - to find the older boy out on his balcony, talking to someone on the phone.

"I don't know… Okay? It's not like this is easy for me either." The blond says with mild irritation. "No, I don't need you to come out here. Yeah, I know. Look, we'll talk some other time, okay? I gotta go. Love you."

He snaps his phone shut and Damian bolts out into the hallway, willing his heart to slow down a little. Cameron had probably been talking to his girlfriend, and he felt bad, mostly because he didn't want to see his best friend be hurt.

_'Best friends… That's all we can be…' _he thinks as his heartbeat hammers in his ears, he closes his eyes and wills his heart to calm down or he'll never look casual enough when Cameron -

"Damo?" Cameron says, poking his head out into the hallway and finding his best friend standing against the wall. "What's wrong? You look a little flushed… Is it too hot? Are you tired?"

Cameron wouldn't really know if this is the definition of hot for Damian, who's standing there - chest heaving and face flushed with heat - mostly because he was used to hotter climates, and it had been cold in Derry so maybe Damian was still getting used to the temperature.

_'Or he heard you talking to mom about him.' _a voice in his head quipped.

Mrs. Mitchell had been rather worried when Cameron came home after leaving The Glee Project. It just wasn't characteristic of her son to give up on something he wanted so badly, and she did ask him why he quit, only to hear a quiet truth from her son.

"He was going to lose, mom…" Cameron said, sinffling into a pillow. "Damian worked so hard - harder than anyone and he was going to be sent home."

"Honey, are you telling me you gave up a competition for that little Irish sweetheart?" she said, smiling openly. She used the words 'little' and 'sweetheart' with all the affection in the world, because her son couldn't see it clearly, but there was something there that had grown over the course of the time her son spent in LA.

"Cameron… Are you in love with Damian?" his mom asked.

This question took the strawberry blond by surprise - he had never imagined, nor had he even thought that maybe he was attracted to the Irish teen. He only looked at his mother and then at his phone. She left him alone for a while and went to her husband to tell him what she had learned. The only answer her husband could give her was "better that boy than her". And it was with no surprise that Cameron came downstairs for dinner and announced that he was moving to LA. He wanted to really get a career going, and, he confessed - he wanted to be with Damian - who he planned on calling that very evening to talk about what they'd do after The Glee Project. The phone call had been his mother checking up on him, seeing if he'd made any progress with the younger boy. If Damian heard all that… Then there'd be no use hiding how he felt anymore.

"M'fine, Cam. Hungry is all…" Damian shrugged off Cameron's hand and said; "Let's just order takeout, yeah? I don' feel much like heading out right now…"

The silence hung heavily in the air as Cameron nodded and padded the few steps down to their living room, making a quick call to Damian's favorite takeout place, not even bothering to ask what the other boy wanted, because he knew the other boy's takeout order by heart. Damian sat on the sofa, watching Cameron's every move as the taller boy paced and placed their orders.

_'This is going to be one awkward lunch…'_ Cameron thinks as he replaces the receiver. He doesn't notice Damian looking him over from head to toe, attempting to memorize every aspect of him, and when Damian looks away, he doesn't notice that Cameron's breathing hitches just looking at him.

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><p><strong>Well, there you go. Chapter one of a multi-chapter Dameron fanfic. If you liked it, please review :) I'd love to hear what you think.<strong>

**On a side note, this was previously published on Tumblr, so yeah, erm... That is all.  
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	2. A Night Unsettled

**Author's Note: Okay, so this took a lot longer than it should've. I've been busy with work and when I sat down to finish this story. I sort of got carried away. I was debating writing the bar scene in this one, but I think that deserves an entire chapter all its own.**

**To my readers, I'd really love to know what you think, so feel free to drop a review or two. I'm afraid the rating goes up to M this chapter, for a bathroom scene.**

**So, when we last left Cameron, he was ordering takeout for them to eat… What happened when the food arrived?**

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><p><strong>Easier<strong>

**Chapter 2: A Night Unsettled  
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_'This really is awkward… Maybe I should just tell him…' _was the first thought to come to Cameron's mind when the takeout arrived. Right now, Damian was eating his kai phat khing in stony silence opposite him, not making eye contact.

_'He has a right to know…'_ He thought, but couldn't even bring himself to start talking.

They sat there in silence, Cameron digging into his phat thai with gusto. Inside, all he could think about was Damian, and why he was even feeling like this. Confusion had taken hold of him ever since his mom talked to him about why he left. His reasons for leaving the competition, his voicing out the fact that he was uncomfortable with having to kiss Lindsay for "Baby, It's Cold Outside." At the time, it had been because he had a girlfriend… And because Lindsay just wasn't the person he wanted to lock lips with at that time. It wasn't even his girlfriend. But he couldn't admit it at the time. He'd stamped out all thoughts like it for a good, long while - because he was a good Christian. And good Christian boys didn't cheat, nor did they want to lock lips with their best friends.

But Cameron had never really presented himself as even remotely attracted to Damian - Or as gay, for that matter. He'd hidden behind the fact that he had a girlfriend - that they were okay together, that it was right. He hadn't been lying at the start of all of it. They were great together, but then they began to drift apart… When Cameron gave up on the show and went home - she was no longer there for him - choosing instead to be with her friends, maybe even someone else. Choosing people she believed were winners. She didn't have the decency to tell him up front, but left a letter with his mother.

The letter spoke of her love for him, how he had been amazing, and how he had given her so much happiness and yet… She realized she needed something more. She did love Cameron, but not enough to stay. Between this and being faced with the realization that he probably fell in love with Damian somewhere along the way, and only realizing it when his mom told him, he was even questioning the reason why he gave it up for Damian. It was his parents who answered for him when he opened up to them about the way he was feeling, that some part of him felt like he had gone against everything he'd ever learned - everything he believed in. His dad smiled wistfully at him and said;

"Bud, we raised you to have faith - to have morals. But it wouldn't matter to us if you loved a girl or a guy as long as you're happy. I ain't gonna lie, this is gonna take some getting used to - but if Damian makes you happy, then so be it. The Lord teaches us that love is no sin, Cameron, so you don't have to feel guilty about falling in love with him."

Cameron's mom took her husband's hand and followed up with a coy smile:

"Sweetie, did you ever think the reason you were so uncomfortable with kissing Lindsay, or flirting with Hannah was because even if they ARE a great friends to you, it was Damian you would've rather been smearing chocolate and whip cream on?"

She doesn't mention her son kissing Damian instead of Lindsay, because she knows he'll come up with that conclusion in about two seconds.

"Ma!" Cameron gasped, utterly mortified as his mother giggled, teasing her son at his newly-discovered love, blushing as he smacked a palm to his face. His dad chuckled good-naturedly and dug into his food.

He had stated that it was something he'd never been through before. That much was true. He would've preferred being with Damian for that video, because it felt weird with Hannah. And kissing Lindsay, while pleasant, was something he hadn't really wanted to do - because at the time, he had a girlfriend. They talked more about it after dinner - his parents cementing the fact that the loved him no matter what form he took.

Cameron wanted to call Damian once he'd made his way back to the solitude of his room, if only to hear his voice… They were probably done shooting the next episode - which wouldn't air for another few days afterwards. He missed his best friend, and even just hearing his voice would make him feel better.

"Cam? Ye're spacin' out again…" Damian says, breaking the silence and the tension in the air.

There's genuine concern there, Damian having finally calmed down. He didn't hear much, but whatever it was, it sounded serious. Maybe that was why Cameron was so hasty to change the subject, but then again… This was their first day in the apartment, just the two of them. He didn't want to ruin it by being cold to him. Truthfully, he was doing his best to not reach across the table to touch the blond's cheek and tell him it'd all be okay. He refrains from doing so, not wanting to encroach on his best friend's personal space and revealing his feelings - that maybe he's fallen head-over-heels in love with Cameron.

Of course, he probably fell for Cameron the first time they saw each other, but he didn't know until their trip to Derry. The older boy's enthusiasm was just catching, the way he took in all the green and his reaction to the much lower temperature brought a smile to Damian's face each time he remembered. Not today. Cameron seemed so gloomy in spite of the California sunshine that streamed in through their windows.

"Sorry… It's just… Ma called… She's just worried about me and it's a bit frustrating that she can't leave well enough alone…" Cameron said, eyes downcast at his food as he picked on it.

_'Sorry, ma…' _he thought at the same time, lying through his teeth about what his mom called him for was necessary - but he really didn't like it one bit.

"Oh, yeah. Me mam does it too. She thinks tha' I'm gonna get in'ta trouble over here… But I'm with you, so I keep telling her she doesn't need to worry."

Damian says it like it's nothing, but what he really means is that he feels safest when he's with Cameron. That it's the nerdy boy's company that's kept him from being homesick all this time. He perks up, because Cameron wasn't talking to his girlfriend, but to his mother. To him it's a relief, knowing that he misjudged what little he heard. He moves onto another topic, namely some of their friends from The Glee Project were getting together as most of them had now moved to LA to start careers, or in his, Samuel's, Alex's and Lindsay's case - to take extra acting, voice and dance classes to get ready for their stints on Glee.

"So, Lindsay called, she said we're heading down t'that club later… DV8, was it? Wear comfy shoes she said, 'cause we're gonna be dancin' th' night away."

He smiled as he said it, because they had a tendency to dance as a huge group. It was always fun seeing the others, anyway. Cameron gets up, already done eating, and goes to throw his takeout box away, along with washing up.

"Sounds like fun, Damo…" Cameron says half-heartedly, almost needing to ask 'can I dance with you tonight?', but doesn't. Damian gets up from where he's sitting and moves to hug Cameron from behind. Because he needs to comfort his best friend, because he wants to hug him and breathe in that citrus-y scent of the taller boy, maybe.

"It's okay, Cam… S'just gonna take some time fer them t'get used ta ye being away from home. I'm gonna go unpack… If y'want to talk, I'm up in my room, okay?"

"Thanks, Damo, but I'm fine… Really…" he says, struggling with wanting to tell Damian the truth and risk losing him for good or suffer in silence that night as he dances with some girl. They do stay like that for a few seconds longer than most hugs would go. This was always how they comforted each other anyway - quiet hugs and closed eyes. Because of their difference in height, Damian has his face pressed against one of Cameron's shoulder blades briefly before he lets go and leaves his best friend behind to his thoughts, and he doesn't want to, but he has to.

As Damian trekked up the stairs, he waged a war with his inner self as to when he started to fall for Cameron. Had it been when he realized how much he missed the blond while they were filming "SING"? Or much earlier, when Cameron had mentioned trying to get an apartment to be with Damian. One thing was for sure, his return to Derry with Cameron had been the best week of his life - an entire week never being more than two feet away from Cameron, nobody dragging the two boys apart as they explored his hometown.

_'And I'm going to ruin his memories by telling him that I love him.'_Damian thought as he closed the door to his box-laden room. As far as rooms went, it was nice enough - a bed in the center and a sliding door that opened out to a balcony that overlooked the city, well, rooftops. One other door connected his and Cameron's rooms, on the far left of his bedroom door. He put his face in his hands and slid down the door, plagued with thoughts of Cameron. How beautiful he looked whenever he got out of bed, dirty blond hair sticking up in places, blue-green eyes bleary from the sleep. Damian couldn't suppress a smile as he remembered a still sleepy Cameron get up from the bed one morning when they were in Derry - clad in very little, boxers and a well-worn U2 t-shirt. The older boy still wanted to sleep, by the looks of him, made obvious by his belly-flopping onto Damian's bed and burrowing his head into the pillow next to the Irish teen.

Damian had chuckled as the paler boy groaned at the cold of the morning, shuffling his pale legs underneath the duvet, moaning his approval of the warmth Damian generated. Damian's room had very little in it at this point, most things having already been packed and shipped off to LA. That day had been the last they were to spend in Derry before heading back, and they spent the entire morning in Damian's bed, sleeping.

Now they had separate rooms, and all Damian could fixate on was that morning. How different it was from this one, and how he would give anything to have it back. He sat there for a while, trying to figure out how he was going to handle being in the same house with Cameron all the time now that he knew - and was positive that he had fallen in love with the older boy somewhere along the way. He needed a distraction, and thus continued to unpack his belongings - clothes going into the closet among other things. He heard Cameron close his own door softly, probably unpacking his own things as well before they needed to get ready for their night on the town.

He's done as much as he can when the sun starts to go down, and most of the boxes containing his belongings are now empty, Damian would really have preferred doing this with Cameron, but the other boy had his own unpacking to do, and thoughts he probably wanted to be left alone with. Damian shrugged and located a box of Celtic Thunder stuff he wanted to set up, along with photos of his friends and family. The sun was setting by the time he finished with the last of the boxes, full of his clothes - now neatly stacked in his drawers and closet.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, satisfied at the amount of work he'd done for the day, though he still hadn't gone through all of his things, truthfully, there were other memories in these boxes he would prefer that never came out. His lip quivered a little at that one memory - when his ex-girlfriend made him choose between her and Glee. He chose Glee and left her behind, and it had been easy. Then he met Cameron, which made being away from home so much easier. He looked at the clock. It was well past seven, and they needed to go soon. He grabbed a towel and knocked on his bathroom door to check if Cameron was taking his bath already, no answer.

_'Wonder what he's up to…' _Damian thought, entering the bathroom and knocking on the door on the opposite side.

"Cam? You okay?" he calls out tentatively, worry blossoms in his chest and he turns the doorknob. He finds Cameron stretched out on his bed, glasses askew. The older boy seems to have fallen asleep while unpacking some books, because there are two trapped under him, and his arms are folded over a small stack - which he's using as a pillow. His gray t-shirt has ridden up, exposing some of his back, as he's lying on his stomach.

_'Guess he really likes sleeping on his stomach, then.'_Damian thinks absent-mindedly, crouching on the floor closest to Cameron's head. He puts a hand on his best friend's head, stroking his hair.

"Cam, wake up… S'nightfall." He says gently, willing the other boy to wake up with gentle shakes. Though he's difficult to wake up at times, and now is one of those times, because Cameron's left arm stretches out and grabs Damian, putting that long, slightly lanky arm around the shorter boy and pulling him closer.

"I don'wanna." comes the murmur, and Damian smiles as he's pulled close, arms now folded under his chin, before he realizes he's practically nose-to-nose with the blond, and that's when his face reddens. He's been this close before, but… This is different. Cam's eyes half open and blue meets blue. Cameron's eyes shoot open when he realizes who he's holding onto, and he lets out a surprised squawk as he tumbles off the bed, falling all over Damian, who's already laughing.

"Urgh… What's so funny?" Cameron asks, attempting to be annoyed, but can't be - Damian's far too cute when he laughs, that deep-voiced chuckle that sends shivers down his spine even as he flops over to the shorter boy's side. He's smiling too, because Damian happy is something he wants.

"You are y'git. Ye're never easy to wake up and it's funny when y'do. Now come on," he props himself up with his elbows and dusts his knees off as he stands, grabbing one of Cameron's hands and pulling him up as well. "I have this odd feelin' Lindsay and Hannah'll be here soon. Now that ye're up, I'm gonna take a shower."

Damian saunters back to the bathroom and closes the door, leaving Cameron looking at his best friend's retreating back.

_'I nearly kissed him… This is getting out of hand.'_he thinks, running a hand through his hair. He thought he'd been dreaming that Damian had come to wake him up - not realizing that it was real. He'd fallen asleep unpacking his books and imagining singing something really sappy to Damian. He grins and nearly jumps out of his skin when the bathroom door opens to reveal a sopping wet Irish teenager.

"So ah, your turn, then." Damian says coyly, retreating back to his own room. Cameron sighs and pads to the bathroom, hoping that a nice shower will stop him lusting after the other boy, because that low voice he used just then drove something wild inside Cameron. Even as he stepped into the tub and turned the shower on. Thankfully, Damian wasn't the type to hog all the hot water. He luxuriated, letting the water run down his body as he tried to brush images of Damian from his mind. He tried singing instead, maybe that would help.

"_I want you_  
><em>I want you so bad<em>  
><em>I want you,<em>  
><em>I want you so bad<em>  
><em>It's driving me mad, it's driving me mad…<em>"

He thought about Damian being that close. Close enough that he could feel the younger boy's breath hit his cheek.

"_I want you_  
><em>I want you so bad<em>  
><em>I want you,<em>  
><em>I want you so bad<em>  
><em>It's driving me mad, it's driving me..<em>."

This wasn't helping. Singing "I Want You" was actually making it worse. Because now, the soap suds were running down his legs and his hand had found its way to his now-hard length. He could feel the heat from the water mingle with the heat he was radiating as he stroked himself. Lusting after Damian was just driving him mad, it wasn't just that: it was wanting Damian and not doing anything about it for fear that Damian would hate him.

Cameron poured all his lust into each stroke, imagining that the hand wasn't his - but Damian's, and the water that trickled down his neck was the Irish teen's tongue. So it didn't take him long to reach climax, bracing a hand against the far wall as white spots blossomed in his vision, hips thrusting violently into his hand as he came. He stays like that for two more seconds before he picks up the soap and cleans up the mess he's made on his legs.

_'It's getting worse…' _is what he thinks as he towels himself dry and walks back into his room, wondering what to wear tonight. He picks a blue and white plaid shirt, his favorite black skinny jeans and navy sneakers. He's just putting his shirt on when he hears voices from the living room. Hannah and Lindsay arrived… Along with Alex, apparently, Damian must've let them in. One final cursory glance in the mirror to make sure he looks good, he slips out of his room only to be tackled and hugged.

"Hey, stud." Hannah says, a smile gracing the girl's features. "What took you so long? Making sure not a hair's out of place for Damo?"

"Mmhm." Alex says, "He's perfect all right, head to toe perfect. Three guesses who for?" He chuckles and gives Cameron a quick hug, breaking off and moving back his spot near the door. He notices that Cameron's flushed pink, embarrassment, or guilt because he called the blond out. Hannah giggles, they've always teased that Dameron is totally real - and all he can think is 'I wish.' If he'd been paying attention, he would've seen Damian's ears flush pink, something that doesn't escape Alex's and Lindsay's notice.

"Stop teasing them, Han, else they'll avoid each other all night." Lindsay grins and moves to give Cameron a hug as well.

"Hey, Linds." Cameron says, letting go of Hannah and hugging Lindsay tight. The hug lasts a little longer than it should before Damian clears his throat, earning a raised eyebrow and a coy smile from Alex, who shoots the look toward Lindsay.

"Well, we should go, yeah?" he masks his jealousy as well as he possibly can. Shaking his head briefly as they all step out of the house, Hannah and Lindsay monopolizing Cameron while Damian locks up. He loves the girls, without hesitation, but the little green-eyed monster of jealousy rears it's head as he walks behind them.

_'If he likes Linds… Nothing I can do about it. He's straight, and Christian, so I…'_ his thoughts break up as they get into Lindsay's minivan, Alex riding shotgun, and the three musketeers in the back, Cameron and Hannah chattering animatedly. He's unsettled as they drive into the night, completely unaware that Alex and Lindsay are sharing looks and observing both him and the distracted Cameron.

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><p><strong>Endnote: Well, there it is, Chapter Two. Yes, there's more. This is my first attempt to write in quite some time so I apologize for using these two boys as guinea pigs for my writing. But if you liked it, please review. Flame me if you must, I do understand that RPF turns some people off.<strong>


	3. Hearts Beating Faster

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, here we are. Chapter Three. This isn't the final chapter, not by a long shot, but there are other stories that I have to start on sooner or later. Yes, for P!ATD fans out there, this chapter is named after that line.**

**I've a drabble prompted once again by Twitter, which I'll try and finish over the weekend. Sidetracked. Gah. Anyway, I have to tell you: there was supposed to be smut in this chapter, but I nuked it. They'll get there eventually (aka next chapter). Also, there are other pairings in this chapter, mentioned and briefly featured, but that's about it.**

**Ooh, and as I have NO clue about clubs and drinks, I've substituted what little I know for the actual club DV8 in LA. Look out for a little fandom crossover there.**

**Also, thank you to my one-and-so-far-only reviewer:  
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**The brownie was delicious, thank you **

**Now on with the fluff!**

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><p><strong>Easier<strong>

**Chapter 3: Hearts Beating Faster**

The club was already quite active (Alex said it was jumpin') when they arrived. Samuel, Marissa and McKynleigh were seated aways from the bar - in a semi-circular booth facing the dance floor, drinks already on the table. Ellis and Bryce were on the dance floor with Matheus and Emily, dancing, obviously. The foursome joined the three seated at the table and his, hellos and warm hugs followed, whereupon Samuel put a glass in the still-pouty Damian's hand and clapped him on the back.

"You okay, man?" he asked, obviously concerned that his friend was rather gloomy as he sat down between Samuel and Alex - Cameron, Hannah and Lindsay sitting opposite them with Marissa and McKynleigh.

"Jus' fine… Wha's this then?" he asks, holding up the glass, which is filled with a glowing green liquid.

"I'm not telling. Take a sip, I promise you'll love it." Samuel smirks, the drink was ordered specifically for Damian. He'd gotten a text from Alex saying that the Irish teen was being moody tonight. You see, they were all pretty much aware that Dameron was real - even if the two themselves had no idea. He watches as Damian takes a sip of the _Sonic Screwdriver_- apparently the bar owner is a Doctor Who fan - the drink itself is similar to a screwdriver with a lime base, instead of orange and the sonic bit is that it's got three times more alcohol than a regular screwdriver.

Although they're pretty sure the Irish teen can hold his liquor, the point is to get him loosened up. Lindsay watches as Damian drinks, feeling a bit guilty that her friend is staring daggers at her, but she's doing this for him. In his own words, she thinks:

_'Sorry, Damian… But you're being so daft it hurts. It's hurting Cameron and it's getting in the way of you two getting together.'_

She's resolved to make him snap, tonight had been planned as the celebration of the boys' move to LA and into their apartment. Cameron is smiling and talking, but every few seconds, he's looking over at Damian with this expression that's screaming_ 'look at me! I'm over here surrounded by girls but all I want is you.'_ It's been frustrating to watch them tip-toe around each other all summer, and now they just can't take it anymore. But it isn't just Cameron and Damian. From the dance floor, Bryce can't take his eyes off Emily, and Matheus doesn't even notice that Ellis is dancing much closer.

Damian likes it. He likes the glowing green drink that Samuel thrust into his hand earlier, so much so he's already downed it and ordered a second one. They all get to talking, but his eyes flicker to Cameron now and again, even as they begin to leave the safety of their seats and get down on the dance floor. The DJ gives them a shout out and suddenly there are more people dancing around them - price of fame, but they take it in stride. It's Hannah who takes Damian off to the dance floor, joining the crowd.

Cameron stares after his best friends, and leans back onto the couch as he takes another sip. This continues for quite some time, the others coming back and chatting - egging him onto the dance floor - a cycle that continues for quite some time.

It's a little while later when Marissa scooches over next to him and says:

"You know you're never going to get him sitting here like this." she says, patting his knee, and Cameron nearly spits out his drink.

"Wh-What?" He says, gulping down the liquid he very nearly coughed up. Marissa suddenly saying that really did take him by surprise. Was he that obvious? A million thoughts raced through his head.

_'How does she know?'_

_'Ohgodohgodohgod! What am I gonna do, do I deny it? Do I say I'm looking at Lindsay?'_

"Cam, get a grip. You like Damian and that's okay, but if you keep this up, he'll never know and what'll you do if someone else decides to take him? Don't screw this up for yourself, and don't ask me how I know."

With that, she gets up and heads to the dance floor, joining the crush of people stepping to every beat as Cameron sits alone, to him, everyone's moving in slow motion. The smiles of his friends as they move to the beat. He catches some of his friends dancing close and he smiles, though a pang of sadness strikes his heart. Damian's always within his reach and he can't bring himself to admit his feelings for his best friend. But Linday's there, dancing close to Damian, pulling him close then whispering something in his ear that causes him to smile and it breaks Cameron's heart.

_'Damo…' _he sighs and finishes his drink, tipping the glass with one smooth motion.

Damian's out on the dance floor because he can't take the goo-goo eyes Lindsay's been making with Cameron all night, so he dances to try and forget about it, he dances to remixes of songs and even some real club songs. The drinks he's had are barely affecting him, but there is this haze of tipsiness hanging over him, he knows that dancing will let him sweat it out. There are smiles all around him as his friends dance, he avoids looking over at Cameron but one glance and he sees Marissa sidle along the couch to talk to Cameron. Something in him is being crushed, even as the beat continues.

_'Marissa, eh. Well, she'll be good fer ye, Cam…'_ for the most, Damian knows that Cameron and his girlfriend are over and he does wonder if that's what's been on his mind the entire time he's been sitting there. Though he's spun around to come face to face with Lindsay.

"Hey!" she yells over the din, a smile spreading over her face.

_'What's she so damn happy 'bout?' _he thinks, but says "Hey!" back with a forced smile on his face. Amidst the dancing she manages to pull him close and yell in his ear:

"You should tell Cam how you feel, Damian! You won't get anywhere like this! He's been sitting there, staring at you for the past three songs, Damian. GO. GET HIM. Marissa's already gotten him softened up for you."

Two things come to Damian's mind at that very minute: one, Cameron's been staring at him; two: Lindsay's off her rocker if she thinks that Cameron would even be… His head whips over to where Cameron's sitting to find the blond's gaze leaving his direction and focusing on his drink. Marissa shakes her hair out as she rejoins them on the dance floor.

"Ye're sure he likes me?" he asks Lindsay as they dance, a genuine smile gracing his face. A smile that anyone could misinterpret.

"Positive. Now get out of here and let me dance with my _girlfriend_." she says, putting a hand on his chest and giving him a light shove as she grabs a hand out of the crowd and pulls Marissa to her, who mouths "_Go_" to Damian and shoos him off as Lindsay starts shaking her hips to the beat. He leaves them, making his way out of there, catching the others' eyes as they see him. Hannah gives him a thumbs up and a bright smile as she dances along with Samuel, who also jerks his head towards Cameron.

He wants to know how long they've known about his and Cameron's feelings for each other. There are far too many questions to ask here, but the alcohol in his system and months of pining for the other boy were reaching their peak. Cameron sitting sadly was a sight he never wanted to see. His legs move automatically, and he finds himself in front of Cameron, who still has his head in his hands.

"Hey." he says, and that deep bass of a voice makes Cameron look into icy-blue eyes for the second time that day.

"D-Damian?" he makes the name a question, as if he can't believe that the brunette is in front of him, looking right at him.

"Are ye too tired t'have a bit'o fun with us, then?" the brunette plops down next to the blond, sitting so close that their knees are touching. "Ye're dressed fer a reason, Cam. Ye're _here _for a reason. Y'bin sittin' on tha' couch since we got here, why?"

The barrage of questions takes Cameron by surprise. Has Damian stumbled onto his secret and is going to reject him for it? Or is it one-too-many drinks, because there's a tinge of pink that only alcohol and embarrassment has ever provided on the Irish teen's face, and he hopes it's embarrassment. A new song starts before Cameron can even form the words to answer the questions, it's a remix of Teenage Dream, the one song in this world that could sum up everything the blond is feeling at that very moment - and it's been mixed with an unbelievable drum beat.

"Well, if y'canna' answer. Jus' dance with me, loosen up, mebbe then y'can tell me wha's goin' on in tha' blond head o' yurs."

He takes Cameron by the arm and leads him out to the dance floor as the beat rises. Their friends are already jumping to the beat, that drumline flowing with the words. Cameron dances in the dorkiest way and Damian knows it. But then again, it's that dorkiness he's fallen in love with, the way Cameron doesn't care that he's a dork.

Cameron, for his part, lets this smile creep onto his face as the song builds up to the chorus, his timing's a bit off but he's got a nice rhythm going. At least until the crowd compresses and knocks him into Damian. Their bodies touch and the brunette's hands brush the blond's wrists when he twists away. Damian's touch is electric - there's a spark that leaps between Damian's hands and Cameron's wrist, it makes both boys stop and look at each other even there on the dance floor. There's this look in his eyes that Cameron can't place, a look he's never actually seen on the younger boy's face. A look that turns into surprise when a particularly strong jostle sends an unsteady Cameron stumbling onto Damian.

Something wet and strangely soft is pressed to Cameron's lips, and he can feel two strong arms supporting him. It takes about two more seconds for his mind to catch up to his body as he realizes he's kissing Damian - who looks just as surprised but doesn't pull away. It's Cameron who pulls back first and tries to run away - out of the club before the others realize what's happened, but as he turns to run, a strong grip on his left wrist pulls him back. The song is just about at the part where Katy sings _"come and rest your hands on me… "_

"Where're y'goin'?" Damian asks, whispering the words in Cameron's ear, his accent so thick it cuts out the music and sends a tingling shiver down the blond's spine.

Their hearts are beating faster as the music weaves this impossible beat between them. Cameron can feel this warmth… No… Heat… Radiating from Damian. It's a poor description of what's passing between the two boys as the beat rises into its highest point and Damian goes in for another kiss. Lips and teeth clash, feelings are unspoken, but are so tangible at that moment.

"C'mon." Cameron says, twining his fingers with the Irish boy's and pulling him out of the crowd with him. Damian stays quiet as Cameron leads him up stairs, weaving past people, until they he finds a door that leads them out onto the club's night air is refreshing and the dash up here before their friends find out gave Cameron enough time to think about what it is he wants to say.

"How long?" he asks Damian. There isn't any need to ask _"how long what?"_, Damian's been bursting to let Cameron know for ages.

"Since before Derry, no'exactly sure when… Tha's about righ'… But bein' wit'you on set - bein' home in Derry and watchin' you be happy and seein' th'sun hit yer hair th'way it'does all the time here… It was different over there… It drove me mad, Cam. An'every day since then it's bin drivin' me mad 'cause I don' know how t'deal with it… I don' know how t'deal wit'maybe fallin' in love wit'you."

He's babbling. He can't help but pour his heart out as he's standing in front of Cameron, their difference in height quite pronounced. So when Damian moves close to the other boy for comfort, he ends up resting his head on the blond's chest, both hands holding Cameron's with fingers intertwined.

_'God he's warm.'_ Cameron thinks. _'Since before Derry?' _

"Damo… I… I think I might've been in love with you since Vulnerability." it's the first time he admits the possibility, and at the same time he's acknowledging the fact that maybe this isn't so easy for Damian. He disentangles his fingers from Damian's and holds the boy out a little from him so he can place his forehead against his. They stay like that for a good, long while

"What are you thinking?" he asks after a while.

"'Bout you, an'me. An'how they knew b'fore we even did." he smiles and they both laugh that their friends were able to see the truth when they couldn't, when all that teasing turned out to be true and neither could see it until everyone else brought it to their attention.

"M'not used t'feelin' like this, Cam." Damian admits.

"I know. I'm sorry…" he wraps his arms around the other boy and pulls him close. Damian is pulled into the hug and wraps his arms around the tall blond's middle. He can hear the pounding of Cameron's heart, and somehow, his own heart paces to match it. He takes one of Cameron's hands and presses it over his heart, and a look passes over Cameron's face.

"Don' be sorry, Cam. Yuir not doin' anythin' wrong." he smiles and kisses Cameron's palm.

"But you aren't… Used to feeling like this. And I don't want to push you…" Cameron admits, holding on tighter.

"But y'aren' pushin', an' I wan'you t'myself. I love you, Cam, I do. An'it may have taken me all summer, but I'm pretty sure 'bout th'way I feel 'bout ye." Damian stands on his tip-toes to plant a light kiss on Cameron's lips, a kiss deepened by Cameron holding onto Damian's hips and pulling him closer. They only break apart when they finally need to come up for air and decide to head back down - the others will have already missed them and might go looking, though they take their time weaving through the crowd, holding each other's hands and looking into each other's eyes.

"Hey you two!" It's Bryce who spots them first when they find their way back to their table and sit down. Marissa and Lindsay are smiling coyly at them, Alex nods knowingly and everybody else is pretty much whooping and saying "ugh, finally!". They order a celebratory round of Sonic Screwdrivers and drink it all down. After one final dance, they all start to head home, Lindsay takes Damian, Cameron, Hannah and Marissa - Alex deciding to get some coffee with Bryce and Ellis.

The ride home is quiet, a comfortable sort of quiet. Hannah wants to gush but decides against it, Marissa's hand is resting on Lindsay's leg as she drives through the streets of LA to Cameron and Damian's apartment.

_'Our apartment… Wow…_' Cameron thinks, realizing the implications of it all. But like Damian, he's a bit tipsy, so nothing much is registering apart from Damian snuggled against him. Not really sleeping, but not completely awake anymore. He wakes Damian up when they make it back to the apartment, the younger boy holding his hand as they step out, blearily rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"You two take care of each other…" Hannah says, she can't be happier that they finally know each other's feelings. "I'll see you in class on Monday, Damo."

Hannah hugs both boys and closes the door of Lindsay's car. Marissa pokes her head out, and offers sagely advice:

"Don't do anything we won't be doing tonight." she smirks, Hannah laughing and Lindsay giving her girlfriend a look that's equal parts amused and turned on.

Damian looks away, but there's a smirk on his face and Cameron's blush is coloring the paleness of his face. The girls drive off, and the boys are accurately aware that they're hand in hand out in the night.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Cameron asks, swinging their hands as they take their time walking to their apartment.

"Lesse… I jus' found out my bes' friend loves me," Damian starts, rubbing his thumb against the back of Cameron's hand. "I love'm back, jus' in case he's wonderin'."

"Mmhm…" Cameron agrees, smiling. "I know." He kisses Damian's temple as they reach their door, fishing out his keys and unlocking the door. He steps over the threshold and is pulled to a stop by the other boy.

"Wait, Cam. I, uh… I hav' a request." Damian says, fidgeting. "Can I carry ye in?"

It's the utter sincerity in his voice that makes Cameron chuckle. He lets go of Damian's hands and says:

"We aren't married, Damo… Not yet."

"Oh, so y'knew abou' tha'…" Damian chuckles as well, inadvertently revealing that he rather believed in some of the superstitions of the newly-wed.

"But if it makes you feel any better, I can give you a piggyback ride all the way in…" he turns around and bends at the knees a little. "Hop on, Damo."

Damian doesn't think it over and hops on his best friend's back. Now, neither boy can really tell why they're doing it - if it's an effect of the alcohol or the intimacy of carrying someone into your home. The Irish teen clambers down once they pass the threshold, taking off his shoes and dropping onto the couch. He registers Cameron's movements around him, putting both their sneakers into the shoe rack beside the door before going to the couch as well, putting his head in Damian's lap and reclining.

"Hi…" he says, smiling up at the brunette's bemused expression.

There's a reason Cameron's not carrying Damian straight to the bedroom for hot, passionate lovemaking - he wants it to be on the other boy's terms - when he's ready, not when their drunk off of liquor, the discovery of each other's feelings, and the fact that they're alone. Some part of him knows that there's plenty of time for that and doesn't say anything.

"Cam, can we go t'bed?" Damian asks, a yawn possessing his voice. He's plain tuckered out from the dancing and the alcohol.

"Okay…" he gets up and takes Damian's hand again, padding to where their bedrooms now lie in wait and their separation is imminent. They're holding onto each other's hands as Cameron turns off the lights except for the one in their hallway, where they stop at each other's doors.

"Well…" he says, kissing Damian slowly, lovingly, breaking it off with a "Good night…" and he starts to turn away, only to be held in place for the second time that night.

"There y'go tryin' t'get away from me again. When I said le's go t'bed… I meant t'gether. We can sleep in my room t'night… Yuir bed's full'a books."

"Oh." Cameron is blindsided by this Damian, the one who's moving them into his bedroom shutting the door behind them and turning the lights down low.

There's nothing sheepish about Damian looking at Cameron like a cat looks at a mouse - nothing at all shy about the way he takes off his shirt and jeans, or in the way that he strides across the room in nothing but his boxers - capturing Cameron's lips in a searing kiss, pushing him onto the bed, snuggling to his chest for no reason other than the fact that he can - though his boxers are straining. He knows Cameron isn't all that comfortable with being sexual, possibly being intimate, he's not sure.

Cameron's lying there with an armful of Damian, his shirt open and jeans unzipped. He doesn't really know for sure that this is real and is halfway tempted to pinch himself or have Damian pinch him, but instead settles for getting comfortable. Damian's puzzled when Cameron takes his arm out from under his head, but the look turns to one of realization once Cameron's shirt, undershirt, jeans and socks have been tossed on the bedroom floor. Damian's gotten under the covers and is joined by Cameron not long after, glasses taken off and placed on the bedside table.

"Hey…" the blond says, scooting close underneath the covers 'til his nose is touching Damian's. He grins wider 'cause it tickles, and because it's Damian. The brunette doesn't speak, quite possibly too tired to do anything else, because he immediately burrows into Cameron's chest, radiating that sweet warmth.

His breathing soon reveals that Damian's fallen asleep snuggled up to him, and Cameron, feeling the sandman coming as well, plants a kiss on Damian's head, somewhere beneath his dark, curly hair.

"G'night, Damo…" is the last thing he's able to say before sleep overtakes him, his heart pacing steadily, and in rhythm with Damian's as he pulls the other boy closer in sleep. There'd be time tomorrow for everything else.

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><p><strong>EndNotes: <strong>

**And that, my dears, is Chapter Three. I apologize for the awkward spacing and lack of any actual smut if you were expecting it. I'll be posting chapter four and a couple of drabbles as well. Still Dameron, I'm afraid. **

**I'll also be posting a Glee-verse fanfic later on. It's a slight bit AU and has original characters. I'm not asking that I get stellar reviews, but I really do appreciate it if people let me know what they think of my writing.  
><strong>


	4. Steal Covers, Share Skin

**Author's Note: **

**Right, well... First I would like to apologize for the lack of updates - writer's block snuck up on me and rendered me unable to write for months. I must warn you now, this chapter is a little bit explicit. Leave if you don't want to read about the boys getting it on.**

* * *

><p><strong>Steal Covers, Share Skin<strong>

Cameron woke up to an empty bed, as in devoid of Damian. Had yesterday night been nothing more than a dream? Did Cameron not confess his love to Damian and they slept together with that knowledge? Or had it been real and Damian regretted it? A thousand thoughts are running in a panic through the Texan's head when the bathroom door opens, revealing Damian- still in his boxers, brushing his teeth and looking questioningly at him.

"I... I thought you'd left me..." Cameron admitted, pulling his legs up to his chest.

Damian hols up a finger, to say just one second, troops back to the bathroom and rinses. He immediately goes back to his room and plants a long, loving kiss on the blond's lips.

"Now why would I even do tha'?" he asks, settling back on the bed, a hand resting on the back of Cameron's neck.

"I just..." Cameron began. But what had he thought? That the other boy, who confessed to have difficulty feeling stronger emotions had gone - unable to face the possibility that his confession had ruined their friendship.

"I kno' m'not exactly quick t'letcha know how I feel, Cam..." Damian kisses Cameron again. "But I'm pretty sure tha' I love ye. More now'n yesterday night 'cause m'sober now."

Cameron puts his hands on Damian's shoulders and pushes him back slowly, feeling a bit gross that Damian was kissing him and he still had morning breath.

"Damo... Can I go brush my teeth first?" he asks.

An odd sort of smile plays on the Irish teen's lips and he says. "No."

"But Damian!" he attempts to get up and is immediately pinned down by the younger boy, and then he feels something poking at his sides.

"Agh! Damian, no! Bahahahahah! Stooop!" Cameron's quite ticklish, apparently, so a few pokes here and there has the blond rolling about with laughter.

A few minutes later and Damian relents, letting Cameron get up to brush his teeth. It's early, so neither of them really have any plans of doing anything. Damian does have acting class on Monday, but it's only Saturday morning. He lies back, wondering how this morning could get any better, and as if the universe were answering him, Cameron comes back, still smiling.

The blond makes it to the bed and places a kiss on Damian's lips, which deepens - Cameron lying against Damian's side. The kiss becomes a battle of tongues, little moans of appreciation coming from both boys. It's Cameron who breaks the kiss first, shyly edging his face around Damian's.

"Wha's wrong?" Damian asks, skin tingling and sensitive. He notices that Cameron's the same - his skin's really warm, and every ghosting touch Damian makes sends shivers up his spine, or at least that's what the brunette gets from his facial expressions.

Cameron, for his part, is incredibly turned on at the sight of Damian's slightly darker skin - if he were to be perfectly honest, he wasn't so sure what to do next.

"Nothing... I, ah... I just don't know what to do next..." Cameron confessed, giving voice to the thought in the back of his head. He'd retreated to sitting cross-legged at Damian's side. It was a half-truth at best, but it was better than Damian thinking that he was a prude.

"Cam... Be honest wit'me. Are ye a virgin?" Damian asked, drawing himself up to a sitting position and attempting to hide the strain in his boxers.

"Y-yes... A-are you?" Cameron replied and asked, a blush creeping across his face.

"W-well, apart from th' usual wank, yeah..." Damian said, enjoying the blush that crept across Cameron's face.

At that instant, Damian was pretty surprised, he'd known about Cameron's faith, and it was something that he was proud of, and he really should have expected that Cameron would have been saving himself for marriage. But here they were, sitting inches from each other, and there were questions that needed to be asked, or answered. Cameron wanted Damian, that much was sure, he knew it, judging by the feeling that pooled in his gut, and the way he was being pulled to Damian. He followed that pull, and once more, he was kissing the Irish teen, only this time, Damian sat him down with a firm grip.

"Cam, stop. We can't be doin' any o' this if y'ain't sure. There's no goin' back if..."

Damian doesn't voice his thought: '_If y'change yuir mind later on an' leave me._'

Cameron surges forward again, whispering "Yes..." against Damian's lips - it's a battle again, both boys just surging against each other, hungry for contact.

"Damo... I want... you..." Cameron whispered between kisses. "So bad..."

"Me... Too..." Damian could only agree, his breaths becoming ragged as he trailed kisses down Cameron's neck. "Wan' ye... So... Bad..."

The blond chokes back a moan, not wanting to be so wanton, but Damian sucks on a bit of flesh just behind his ear and a long, loud, guttural moan rips out of Cameron's mouth - which in turn only makes Damian want more. Each kiss sends shivers down Cameron's spine and there's a gentle sort of roughness (if that were actually possible) to how Damian was kissing him, how the younger boy knew what he was doing - Cameron didn't know - but he liked it. They've somehow found themselves lying on the bed, Cameron under Damian and there's this hesitation in Damian's eyes when he finds his hands just above the waistband of Cameron's underwear.

"Are y'_sure_, Cam?" Damian asks again, though he's raised himself to a kneeling position between Cameron's legs, hands still positioned at the blond's hips.

"Damian, stop asking me if I'm sure. I love you. I want you. I _need _you, right. Now."

There's a forceful tone in his voice that Damian's never heard before, demanding and sexy. He smiles - the kind that reaches his ice-blue eyes - and pulls Cameron's boxers off with one fluid motion. He pauses, admiring the Texan's entire body, he can't help 's only a fair amount of morning light streaming into Damian's bedroom, it hits one side of Cameron and shows pale flesh, turned pinkish with the rushing blood, heat and lust. The blond's eyes are glazed, and he gets up, propping himself up on his elbow and reaching out to tug on the elastic of Damian's waistband.

"Off." he says in that quietly demanding voice. Damian complies quickly, tossing his underwear over his shoulder as he slides onto Cameron. The touch of their bodies sends tiny jolts of pleasure that make both boys' toes curl. Cameron has to bite his lower lip to prevent another moan from breaking loose, and Damian moving only makes him want to be loud, because the friction he's getting from the brunette's grinding is sweet, blessed pleasure.

Neither knows how long they keep it up, but it's all they both need, the feel of each other's skin, slicking with a bit of sweat. It isn't long before Cameron just loses any control he has left and fists he sheets as he reaches orgasm, white spots blurring his vision. Damian isn't far behind, because he buries his head in the crook of Cameron's shoulder - a throaty groan escaping him as he comes, the sticky fluid joining Cameron's own, some of it hitting his chest as well. It's at that point that Damian collapses onto Cameron, both boys panting and still high off of each other.

"That was... Well... Wow..." Cameron says after a while, his arms wrapped around Damian, his eyes express that it was really something new to him, and he almost asks why Damian didn't push for more but the brunette speaks first.

"Yeah... Wow. I wasn't really sure if y'wan'ed t'go further, so I jus' went wit' th'flow..." Damian agrees, moving a little, and hearing the squelch of bodily fluids.

"Damo, I... Thank you..." he says, pressing a kiss into the other boy's hair.

"Wha' fer? Tha' wus jus' me havin' a go wit'me boyfriend is all." a sincerely cheeky grin has spread across the Irish teen's face as he looks into the older boy's eyes.

"Boyfriend... Has a nice ring to it..." Cameron says, looking straight at Damian as he says it. He's still getting used to this being real, to the fantasy being reality. Though he really does love Damian, he can't help but feel like he's done something he can never take back. There's something final about what happened, something that tells him that there really isn't any going back - but he doesn't regret it.

"Yuir lost in thought again, Cam..." Damian quips.

Before Cameron can respond, the chorus to Raise Your Glass blasts out from two directions.

'_We have the same ringtones?'_ Cameron thinks, scrambling for his jeans and his phone. The caller ID says "Ma" and almost immediately there's a feeling of dread that creeps into the pit of his stomach. He looks over at Damian, who's got the a look that says "oh-god-what-is-this?" He clears his throat and presses the call button.

"Ma?" Cameron says.

"Well, congratulations, hon! I knew you had it in you and I knew Damian loved you back!" his mother says, only adding to his confusion.

"Ma, how did you...?" he asks, she cuts him off again.

"Why, it's all over TMZ dear, now don't you worry... Your father ain't all too happy about you kissing Damian publicly, but well, he's plenty happy that at least you two got your feelings out in the open. Oh honestly, I don't get that man sometimes."

His mother giggles, like an excited girl, and he can't help but smile - a smile which falters when he looks over at Damian, who's sitting on the bed, his back to Cameron - probably talking to his own parents.

"I just wanted to let you know that you two have our blessing, and that I fully expect both of you two to behave properly in public - in the future, that is."

"Thanks ma..." is all Cameron has to say. Because Damian isn't talking all that loudly, and he can't hear anything the other boy is saying. "Listen, ma, I gotta run... Say hi to pop for me, I love you both..."

"Well alright, dear. You say hi to Damian for us. Bye, Cameron, we love you too."

His mom puts the phone down and he's thankful she doesn't pry, but he takes the time to pull his boxers on and goes over to Damian's side. He's in tears, but he looks up and smiles at Cameron. He's probably just hung up from talking to his parents as well, because Cameron suddenly has an armful of teary-eyed Damian, which in turn has him tearing up as well.

"Hey... What's wrong, Damo?" he asks, stroking the other boy's head and doing his best not to tear up.

"Tha' was me mam. She got a li'l mad... 'Cause I din't tell'er anythin', an' 'cause if she'd known, she would'a smacked me upside th' head fer bein' so dense, she said."

"So she and your dad aren't -" Cameron starts.

"No. Pap reckons I got th' whole thickness from 'im. Mam had t'kiss 'im before he realized he loved'er..." Damian laughs, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"That's great Damo... But... Ma said it was all over TMZ... So that means we're going to be in for a lot of heat. What do you say we take a bath then see what all the fuss is about?"

Cameron asks because he's scared, because he wants a chance for both of them to calm down before facing reality, to stay in the little bubble of their apartment. They didn't really mean for it to get out immediately, and he had no idea as to how this was going to affect his being signed onto a record label, or how it would affect Damian being on Glee. All he does is press kisses to his boyfriend's face and lead him to the bathroom, because he has a feeling that Damian is thinking the exact same thing.

Damian, for his part, isn't all that worried about his appearance on Glee, sure, the revelation is rather sudden - but maybe it could lead to something good. The only other thing he was worried about was the fact that Cameron had just been signed to a record label, and while he wasn't so sure about how people would react, so he let himself be lead to the bathroom, still naked. He sat on the toilet while Cameron filled the bathtub with water, thinking about what was going to happen when they finally got out of their little bubble and faced the world.

'_Will these sort'a mornin's still happen? Will I still get t'come home t'this dork?'_ he asks himself, eyes trained on the back of Cameron's head, heart fluttering madly. The answer is yes, of course, he knows it. But what about the rest of the world? Will they understand? Will all his friends understand that he had no control over falling for Cameron in the history of forever? He knows that most people are accepting, but what about those who aren't? The thought scares him, just a bit, but then Cameron comes over and runs a finger down his arm, still crouched on the floor next to a now-bubbly bathtub.

"So... Bath's ready... Join me?" the blond throws his boxers into the laundry hamper and settles into the water. It's lukewarm with this minty scent wafting off of it, the bubble bath was peppermint scented after all. Damian follows suit, fingers entwined with Cameron's, smiling all the while.

"You've been quiet the entire time I was getting our bath ready, Damo..." Cameron says, brandishing a loofah already foamy with bath gel. He starts by scrubbing Damian's back while he waits for the younger boy to answer.

"I wus jus'... I'm worried now tha' th'entire world knows abou' me and you." Damian quips and follows up; "Not tha' I don'want people t'know... I jus' din't expect this. We've known for all'a three months. An'we only got all o' this t'gether in twen'y-four hours ago."

Cameron stops, a blush covering his face. It hits him that it hasn't been a week since they got together and he says his thoughts out loud:

"Does it bother you?"

"No... No' really. I jus'... I don' wanna hafta explain m'self to people who don' understand tha' wha' we are ain't deviant or nothin', jus' two guys who fell in love an' dinna really act on it 'til later."

Cameron smiles and keeps running the loofah all over Damian.

"Damian Joseph McGinty... I never thought you'd be so worried about what people thought about us... Look, we'll make our excuses to everyone, but it'll be okay... It can't have been that bad..."

He's playing the optimist, and he actually finds it odd - he's the one with the whole paradigm of faith and he's not freaking out, not so much. Mostly because he knows his family understands, their friends were all but waiting for them to get together. He is a little worried about his record deal, but he's more worried about Damian. He suddenly remembers that Damian is only nineteen, so maybe the younger boy still has a little growing up to do.

"Oi, tha's no' fair, usin' me full name agains' me. You know I like it when y'say m'full name." He says, leaning back into Cameron, snatching the loofah away from him.

"Yeah it is." Cameron retorts, tilting Damian's face towards his for a kiss.

They soak for a little while longer, but eventually get up and scrub, and rinse. They separate only to get clothing, Damian choosing a tank top and shorts while Cameron opts for a t-shirt. Both boys get around to fixing Damian's bed, finding their phones as well. It's only about ten in the morning when they pad out to their kitchen. Cameron grabs the cereal and milk, Damian gets bowls and they turn on the TV. They switch channels - flicking through for reports on what happened, and then:

"_...at Club DV8 yesterday night. Glee Project contestants Damian McGinty and Cameron Mitchell are otherwise known to their friends and fans as Dameron on the count of their closeness. Yesterday night, however, clubbers were treated to just _how _close the two really are."_

The reporter said it with amusement bordering on joy as she prompted the video footage of their rather drunken first kiss.

"Yikes." Cameron says, choking on his cocoa puffs as he stumbles, getting caught by Damian and then the kiss. "Not the best first kiss... Glad that's all they got"

Damian nudges him, a grin on his face. "Ye're right... Th' second one wus better... C'mon, le's chan-"

The footage doesn't end there and shows Cameron trying to get away, then Damian pulling him close and then the second kiss. It's at this point that both boys' faces burst into full-on blushes. He had been wrong. The world hadn't seen just one kiss, they'd seen the first two kisses.

"_Wow. That's just adorable, and coming up next we have more news from the set of Glee..."_

Damian changes the channel to Nickelodeon and looks right at Cameron. There's this really strange look on his face, like he's mortified and awed at the same time.

"They just..." Cameron stammers.

"Uh-huh." Damian replies.

"The first two..." Cameron gestures at the two of them.

"Yep." Damian nods.

"I'm mortified." Cameron says, putting his face in his hands.

"Me too. T'think the world saw tha'..." Damian is scratching the back of his head.

Damian's phone rings again, this time it isn't his parents, nor is it any of their friends. The caller ID lists the number as Brad Falchuk's - and Damian's heart drops into his stomach. What if it's a call saying they're revoking his win and his role ? The phone keeps ringing and Damian starts to shake. Cameron moves closer and puts an arm around Damian, his phone isn't ringing or anything... yet.

"Well, go on, Damo... Answer it." he pulls the other boy closer as he brings the phone up to his ear, pressing the call button as he does so.

"H-hello?" Damian says, voice shaking just a bit.

* * *

><p><strong>Endnote: Dear me, two cliffhangers in one day? I must be enjoying an undeniable mean streak. Well, you know the drill, my lovelies. I'll try and get Chapter 5 ready soon.<strong>

**Also, I would like to thank those of you who have read, or reviewed my story so far and have fave'd it. pupgal999, ForeverLivebymusic, ..x, Dameron73, kenepeach, monkiimax, and PandaBear . DC (who was also first to review this, ever.), thank you so much for reading :) **


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